31 January 2022
by Jon Grevatt & Rahul Udoshi
According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the missile that North Korea launched on 30 January travelled a distance of 800 km and landed in the sea outside of Japanese territory. The yellow dot in this Japan MoD image indicates Pyongyang. (Japan Ministry of Defense)
North Korea has confirmed that it test-launched on 30 January its locally developed Hwaseong-12 (also spelt Hwasong-12) intermediate‐range ballistic missile (IRBM).
The launch was the seventh missile test that Pyongyang has conducted since the start of 2022. It is also the longest-range missile that North Korea has launched since 2017.
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the launch of the “Hwasong-12-type surface-to-surface intermediate- and long-range ballistic missile” was organised by the Academy of Defence Science (ADS), the Second Economic Committee, and other institutions.
It added that the launch aimed to verify the Hwaseong-12's deployment and accuracy and was conducted by the “highest-angle launch system from the northwestern part of the country” towards the East Sea (Sea of Japan).
16 April 2024
by Meredith Roaten
The Ground-Based Interceptor was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to simulate a combat launch from Fort Greely in Alaska. (Missile Defense Agency)
The Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) competition has come to an end as Lockheed Martin was selected as the prime to continue development of the weapon through critical design review (CDR), all-up round qualification, integration with the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, and flight testing, the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced on 15 April.
While no dollar amount was attached to initial statements on the contract, the Pentagon's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) said in a 2021 report that it expected NGI to accrue roughly USD17.7 billion in contract costs. The downselect for Lockheed Martin will lead to a follow-on production and emplacement contract to support initial operational capability for NGI by the fourth quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2028, according to the announcement.
The MDA cited “technical maturity”, “technical rigor” in the design process, and contract-provided performance date as key factors that supported its decision.
Lieutenant General Heath Collins, director of the MDA, called the decision “very difficult” in a statement but said the agency was “confident”.
11 April 2024
by Aaron Lin
A marine programs a counter-unmanned aircraft system on a Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System (LMADIS) during a predeployment training exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. (US Marine Corps)
The Ultra Light Tactical Vehicle (ULTV) programme – a US Marine Corps (USMC) replacement for the ageing Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) – will now include a variant with more exportable power, according to Janes analysis of budget documents.
The fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request is the first time the ULTV-High Power (ULTV-HP) has funding for procurement, adding up to roughly USD5.99 million for 40 vehicles in that year. USMC justification documents indicate that it “provides exportable electrical power generation in support of the requirements for [the] kill web integrating system”.
02 April 2024
by Meredith Roaten
A convoy of Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicles perform command-and-control operations for the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center training rotation in Fort Greely, Alaska. (Janes/Meredith Roaten)
Life in the Arctic can shift from -40ºF with 20 to 30 mph winds one week to the snow melting away as temperatures climb closer to 40ºF every day the next week. This kind of chaos makes the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) 24-02 training rotation an excellent trial for new US Army equipment and operations in contested environments, top service officials told Janes .
Investment in the region has remained stagnant, but nonetheless, formations in the region like the 11th Airborne Division are trying to grow beyond a support capacity and embrace the Arctic warfare mission described in Department of Defense (DoD)- and service-level strategies for addressing the growing threat of a contested Arctic.
North Korea has confirmed that it test-launched on 30 January its locally developed Hwaseong-12 (als...
In this podcast Janes analysts discuss the Iranian attacks on Israel on the 14 April. They highlight the military systems used by Iran and the performance and impact of these on Israel. They also discuss the implications of this attack goi...
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